Tricky question - looking for ideas.

[RGDave]

I'm finding some good consistency these days. Last weekend I played tidy other than 1 mega cock-up (bad decision not bad shot) and a moment of bad luck . Tomorrow I shan't be making those mistakes so I'm confident of doing well, maybe very well.
Anyway, with the longer clubs I've been leaking the ball right. Sometimes it looks like a deliberate 10 yard fade to the target, others start straight enough then end up threatening the right rough, or worse.
Normally when I'm not getting it square, I usually practice my timing and release at the range but I didn't feel my normal drills were wise today as my mid irons were arrow straight (no deviation) and I was turning the short ones over enough to call them small draws.

So basically, the middle clubs are straight, the short ones I have to guard against closing the face and the long clubs (driver and 3 wood) I can't get quite get it square.

I feel like I'm really close to a great round of consistent straight hitting (in which case 75-80 ought to be easy) but I don't know what to do with driver/3 wood. My grip is already tweaked a little stronger.
Anyone with any wise thoughts. I'm booked in for a lesson mid-week but have 2, maybe 3 games before then.
Thanks.

 

[pablo123]

I'm in no way an expert but could you maybe Tweak the grip even more or maybe the clubface isn't quite square at address?

 

[CrapHacker]

If it starts straight and then leaks, the clubhead is square at impact, but the swing path is out to in.

I don't see how changing the grip can fix that, other than to get the ball starting left of target, so it'll fade back on line, or stay left as a straight pull.

I know this coz I do it. What I don't know is how to fix it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm with you Dave. It's nearly there now and comes out in patches of three or four holes and the I chuck in the bad hole to set me back. I think if I can get my driver working everything else will click. I don't think you should over complicate things and play for the right hand side of the green or fairway. If you tee up as far left as you can to give yourself maximum room and hit it straight or fade it then you'll be pretty much in play anyway. I think tweaking the grip will lead to uncertainty

 

[RGDave]

I think tweaking the grip will lead to uncertainty

Yes, and today I paid the price. I smothered both my 3 wood tee shots (so that got binned) and then my driver went from bad to worse. It's a mystery to me. If I was always swinging out-in, then I wouldn't hit any draws but I hit a few today.
Anyway, tomorrows game is cancelled and I'll see if I can get some help Tuesday. Maybe it's more of a path thing than I thought....I get it right with mid irons but not anything over 5 wood up to driver.
Silly game.

 

[kid2]

Its a little late dave as iv been golfing all weekend myself but im sort of doing the same in a way....Iv rid my game completely of a slice and the odd fade....Im now turning over short irons also and hitting mid irons well....Im nailing my woods arrow straight although my bad shot with them is straight left its infrequent...Cant hit my driver out of my way and use 3W off the tee.....Much mor consistent....Iv narrowed my problems i think down to my feet positioning and my grip....I stand slightly closed at adress and iv changed my grip to an overlap....I think these are maybe compounding my bad shots straight left.

My next mission mow is to see if my feet are causing the problem if not that then ill have to sort the grip out....I may be a little strong on the club with my right hand and so maybe turning it over to fast at impact........

 

[RGDave]

My grip feels terrible. Never had it this bad in years. My left hand has remained constant for years, but my right is a disaster. I've cranked it to a horrible place, but if I don't it's slice-city. I need to get it back on top of the left thumb a.s.a.p. - this should stop me turning the short ones over, but in return, I'm going to need to work really hard with the long clubs for many balls I fear.

 

[Region3]

I know there are 101 cures for a slice, but I had a lesson last week and he got me gripping more with the fingers in my right hand, and a bit lighter too and I'm hitting much straighter now.

I hit way more fairways at FP that I normally would at my place, and FP is tighter.

Of course that only helps if you grip tightly with your right hand and wrap it all the way around

 

[Leftie]

I don't think you should over complicate things

Good advice Homer

 

[RGDave]

I don't think you should over complicate things

Good advice Homer

Yes, and I'm not over complicating anything. I hit 200 balls over 3 days in prep' for this weekend and there were as many "pushed" shots as "pulled" ones.
If I thought I was cutting across it, I'd have cured that (or worked on it).....it was a totally mixed bag of shots, but the only pattern emerging was that the long clubs were leaking right whereas the short ones were (if anything) turning over.
I did however hit two full-blown slices today.



and 3 shanks with fairway woods!



can anyone tell me the resulting shot from hitting a 3/5/7 wood out of where the hozel would be (on an iron)?

 

[Region3]

can anyone tell me the resulting shot from hitting a 3/5/7 wood out of where the hozel would be (on an iron)?

When I feel the ball hit there with a wood they're normally low cutters that start left and come back to where I was aiming.

 

[CrapHacker]

can anyone tell me the resulting shot from hitting a 3/5/7 wood out of where the hozel would be (on an iron)?

Bad

 

[Ethan]

Sounds like the primary problem is over the top, and the pulled short irons and sliced longer clubs could both come from that.

Many causes of OTT, but starting down with the shoulders and ball too far forward are among them.

 

[JustOne]

If I was always swinging out-in, then I wouldn't hit any draws but I hit a few today.

Started straight and turned left a little? or started out to the right and came back in a little?

 

[RGDave]

If I was always swinging out-in, then I wouldn't hit any draws but I hit a few today.

Started straight and turned left a little? or started out to the right and came back in a little?

Yes, of course. Start right, then turn over. That's a draw whereas the other is a fake draw. Then again, not wishing to confuse the issue (too much!) I deliberately played for these with my stance aimed at the right bunker or right rough. All with the same club too - my 4 iron. I can do it with 5/6/7 irons too, but not my rescue.

It's a mess. However, I'm booked in for a lesson tomorrow and hopefully will get to fix my grip and the horrible "wood-sh***s*.

I just want to get back out and play.....

 

[RGDave]

Oh, b.t.w.

I'm basing the draw argument on quite often hitting straight pushes where the ball doesn't move at all.

Other than that, I'm confused since hearing about the face/path theories on here.

 

[JustOne]

It's a mess. However, I'm booked in for a lesson tomorrow and hopefully will get to fix my grip and the horrible "wood-sh***s*.

Well if you have a lesson booked then there's no point in tampering.... I'm sure the pro will be able to apply a 'quick fix plaster' that will last a couple of weeks

Out of interest, if you could choose a shot shape as your 'stock shot' what would it be?

 

[RGDave]

Well if you have a lesson booked then there's no point in tampering.... I'm sure the pro will be able to apply a 'quick fix plaster' that will last a couple of weeks

Out of interest, if you could choose a shot shape as your 'stock shot' what would it be?

No quick fix, unfortunately. Some horrible habit has crept back into my swing which is going to need some serious medicine. I know what I have to do; at the moment I can't even hit the ball with the swing change so today's game in 90 minutes could be "interesting" to say the least.

Stock shot.....well I always played better with a push/draw type of swing, so I'd go for that.

 

[JustOne]

Stock shot.....well I always played better with a push/draw type of swing, so I'd go for that.

Ok... do you smoke cigarettes? Put a packet flat on the ground under your right heel and make your normal swing - don't crush your ciggys! See what happens.

If you don't smoke use someones fingers ... or a golfball.

 

[RGDave]

OK... do you smoke cigarettes? Put a packet flat on the ground under your right heel and make your normal swing - don't crush your ciggys! See what happens.

I'll try this (?!) in between practising the worlds most uncomfortable take-away.

Is this a S&T idea, or you just want to laugh at me crushing my fags?